Endless Summer - It's Just One Stick

westy1941(Boulder County, CO)June 12, 2009

I thought this was such a hardy one. Almost all of ES died over the winter and this is only northern Illinois - not Minnesota. It has ONE branch that is finally putting out a few leaves. Is it supposed to be heavily mulched in winter in spite of its 'hardiness' ? It was so full and beautiful last summer and this is the third year - it came back much fuller last Spring. And what about Blushing Bride? It actually came back looking like a plant and it's three feet away. I'm going to mulch the hell out of them this Fall. Just wonder if anyone has any ideas why most of an ES would die back in its third Spring.

Different year, different weather, two different cultivars. Mulching can help protect them from the extremes of midwestern winters and springs. Mine get a pile of leaves over them in late fall and they look like they always have despite the coldest winter in many years.

Okay that does it.....the argument every fall is the leaves. He wants to get rid of them, so he bags them up and lets the garbage people take them. This year I am mowing them several times to chomp 'em up to put around the hydrangeas -- or else I'm leaving him. I'm sure it was the late Spring freezes now that you mention it. The Blushing Bride is just a few feet closer to the house but the house is brick and I'm sure that held enuf heat to protect it more than ES.